The present invention relates to a translating apparatus, a dictionary search apparatus, and a translating method, which are preferably applied for when translation is to be efficiently performed based on context in a machine translating process.
Conventional machine translation is performed in sentences due to the limitation of a processing capability. For example, if a text written in a foreign language is translated, a grammatical structure of the text to be translated and a knowledge of the words used are necessary.
However, an understandable text can often not be obtained if context information, that is, a meaning of one sentence to be translated in the entire text, is not properly interpreted, even if the grammatical structure of the text to be translated, and the knowledge of words, etc. used are known.
If it cannot be determined whether the English word xe2x80x9ccarxe2x80x9d means either an xe2x80x9cautomobilexe2x80x9d or a xe2x80x9crailroad carxe2x80x9d from the information included in a sentence, a sentence preceding or succeeding the sentence in question, or the context of the entire text must be referenced in order to determine the meaning of the one word.
Actually, not only the simple selection of a translated word, but also an interpretation of a complex meaning is required to be made based on the context.
In recent years, a short sentence has been able to be analyzed with high accuracy, thereby performing translation with higher accuracy according to a context process.
This context process enables the following processes to be performed, which could not be realized by using only a sentence.
Selecting a translated word by estimating a field of a document to be translated
Selecting a suitable expression method by estimating a type of a document to be translated
Removing ambiguity existing in a reference relationship
Completing an abbreviation
A mechanism and a method for performing a translation process using context information for a document to be translated, have been developed. Additionally, a method or apparatus for learning context information, and a translating apparatus for performing a translation process using learned context information, have been developed.
However, the translation process using a conventional context process is performed only when an entire document is specified as a translation target.
That is, if a portion of a document is specified as a translation target, the context process is not performed.
Therefore, when a portion of a document such as one sentence, one paragraph, etc. is translated, the entire document must be specified as a translation target in order to obtain accurate translation using the context process. As a result, it takes a large amount of time to perform the process.
An object of the present invention is to provide a translating apparatus, a dictionary search apparatus, and a translating method for translating a portion of a document efficiently and accurately.
According to a feature of the present invention, a range to be translated and a context process range in original text are set separately. Therefore, even if only a portion of a document is specified as a range to be translated, it can be translated efficiently and accurately by referencing context outside the range to be translated.
According to an additional feature of the present invention, a range to be translated and a context process range in original text are separately set to perform a context process. As a result, a translation process is performed by referencing context outside the range to be translated, thereby translating the portion of a document efficiently and accurately.
According to a further feature of the present invention, field estimation is made as a context process. Even if there is no word identifying a field in a range to be translated, the field can be identified according to context outside the range to be translated. As a result, a suitable translation process depending on a field can be performed.
According to a still further feature of the present invention, document type estimation is made as a context process. Even if there is no expression which allows a document type to be identified in a range to be translated, a suitable translation process depending on a document type can be performed by identifying the document type according to context outside the range to be translated.
According to a still further feature of the present invention, an abbreviation is estimated as a context process. Even if there is no complete form of the abbreviation in a range to be translated, it can be searched according to context outside the range to be translated. As a result, a translation process can be performed with completion of an abbreviation.
According to a still further feature of the present invention, a reference destination is estimated as a context process. Even if a range to be translated includes no word pointed to by a pronoun included in this range, a translation process can be performed while replacing the pronoun depending on need, by searching the word pointed to by the pronoun according to context outside the range to be translated.
According to a still further feature of the present invention, a sentence to be translated is identified according to a range to be translated. As a result, a translation process can be performed accurately.
According to a still further feature of the present invention, a group of sentences to be translated is identified according to a range to be translated. As a result, a translation process can be performed accurately.
According to a still further feature of the present invention, a sentence to be translated is identified by ignoring an inline tag. That is, a translation process can be accurately performed by removing a portion unrelated to translation.
According to a still further feature of the present invention, a sentence to be translated is highlighted. As a result, a translation process can be performed while recognizing the sentence to be translated.
According to a still further feature of the present invention, a first word having a plurality of translated words, and one of second words closest to the location of the first word among second words representing the translated words of the first word, are highlighted. As a result, a state of a context process can be recognized with ease by displaying context information simply.
According to a still further feature of the present invention, a sentence to be translated is highlighted with a first method, and a context process range is highlighted with a second method. As a result, a translation process can be performed while recognizing the context process range, by making a distinction between the sentence to be translated and the context process range.
According to a still further feature of the present invention, a word at a reference destination and a word at a reference source are highlighted. As a result, a translation process can be performed while recognizing a state of a context process.
According to a still further feature of the present invention, an abbreviation and its complete form are highlighted. As a result, a translation process can be performed while recognizing a state of a context process.
According to a still further feature of the present invention, a context process range is extended if a translated sentence corresponding to an original sentence cannot be identified. If context information which allows a translated sentence to be identified is not included in a range to be translated, the translated sentence can be identified according to context outside the range to be translated. As a result, a portion of a document can be translated efficiently and accurately.
According to a still further feature of the present invention, a context process range is extended in sentences until a sentence to be translated corresponding to an original sentence can be determined. As a result, a portion of a document can be translated efficiently and accurately by performing a context process such as estimating an abbreviation, estimating a reference destination, etc. efficiently.
According to a still further feature of the present invention, a context process range is extended in paragraphs in correspondence with a range to be translated until a translated sentence corresponding to an original sentence can be determined. As a result, a portion of a document can be translated efficiently and accurately by performing a context process such as estimating a field, estimating a document type, etc. efficiently.
According to a still further feature of the present invention, a direction in which a context process range is extended is determined according to a type of a context process. As a result, the context process is efficiently performed, thereby translating a portion of a document efficiently and accurately.
According to a still further feature of the present invention, a context process range is extended in sentences in a forward direction until a translated sentence corresponding to an original sentence can be determined. The context process such as estimating a reference destination is performed efficiently, thereby translating a portion of a document efficiently and accurately.
According to a still further feature of the present invention, a context process range is set in correspondence with a range to be translated separated into paragraphs, if the range to be translated in original text straddles a plurality of paragraphs. As a result, even if a topic changes at the beginning of a next paragraph, a context process can be performed accurately by extracting context corresponding to the range to be translated correctly, thereby performing a context process correctly.
According to a still further feature of the present invention, an inline tag is removed from a context process range. That is, by removing a portion unrelated to context, a context process can be performed efficiently.
According to a still further feature of the present invention, a context process range is stopped from extending at a boundary of context. As a result, a context process can be performed accurately and quickly by performing the context process in a context process range including context corresponding to a range to be translated.
According to a still further feature of the present invention, context information is displayed in correspondence with a range to be translated in original text. As a result, a translation process can be performed while recognizing a state of a context process in the range to be translated.
According to a still further feature of the present invention, a plurality of pieces of context information are displayed as candidates if a translated sentence corresponding to an original sentence cannot be determined. As a result, a translation process can be performed while recognizing a state of a context process being performed in a range to be translated.
According to a still further feature of the present invention, context information includes a field name, document type, complete form of an abbreviation, or a word at a reference destination. As a result, a translation process can be performed while recognizing the field name, document type, complete form, or the reference destination.
According to a still further feature of the present invention, if a range to be translated in original text straddles a plurality of paragraphs, it is divided into a plurality of paragraphs to perform a context process. As a result, even if a topic changes at the beginning of a next paragraph, context corresponding to a range to be translated can be extracted correctly. Therefore, a translation process can be performed accurately.
According to a still further feature of the present invention, a context process of original text is performed based on a context process range which is set, and a translated word corresponding to an original word is determined based on text in the context process range. As a result, a dictionary search is properly performed in consideration of context.
According to a still further feature of the present invention, a context process range is extended if a translated word corresponding to an original word cannot be determined. As a result, a dictionary search can be properly made by allowing a context process to be performed efficiently.
According to a still further feature of the present invention, a context process range is extended in sentences until a translated word corresponding to an original word can be determined. That is, by allowing a context process such as estimating an abbreviation, etc., to be performed efficiently, a dictionary search can be made efficiently and accurately.
According to a still further feature of the present invention, field estimation is made as a context process. If there are a plurality of translated words corresponding to an original word, the field of the original word is estimated with a context process in order to select a translated word corresponding to the estimated field. As a result, a dictionary search is performed accurately.
According to a still further feature of the present invention, an abbreviated expression is estimated as a context process. By allowing a complete form of an abbreviation to be searched, a dictionary search can be performed accurately.
According to a still further feature of the present invention, a meaning of a word to be searched is determined according to context in a context process range. As a result, a dictionary search is performed in consideration of context, thereby performing the dictionary search accurately.
According to a still further feature of the present invention, context of original text outside a range to be translated is referenced when a portion of the original text is translated. As a result, even if the portion of the original text is specified as the range to be translated, the context outside the range to be translated is referenced. Therefore, the portion of the document can be translated efficiently and accurately.
According to a still further feature of the present invention, if there are first and second translated words respectively belonging to first and second fields, which correspond to a first original word in a range to be translated of original text, a second original word outside the range to be translated of the original text is referenced. If the second original word belongs to the first field, the first translated word is selected for the first original word. As a result, the field of the first original word in the range to be translated is estimated based on context outside the range to be translated, thereby determining a translated word of the first original word based on the estimated field.
According to a still further feature of the present invention, data in a conversion range is converted based on context in a context process range. Data is converted in consideration of information other than the data in the conversion range, thereby converting the data accurately.